Taking Chances
by madeleine68
Summary: Olivia's loved him since the moment she met him. But it's impossible . . . isn't it? CHAPTER 2 IS UP! E/O Review for more!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Elliot and Olivia aren't mine.**

**The song is **_**Taking Chances **_**and it's sung by Celine Dion. I'm not sure if this is going to be a oneshot or more, but it's definitely E/O. Enjoy!**

_Don't know much about your life_

_Don't know much about your world_

_But don't want to be alone tonight_

_On this planet they call Earth_

_You don't know about my past_

_And I don't have a future figured out_

_And maybe this is going too fast_

_And maybe it's not meant to last_

_What do you say to taking chances? _

_What do you say to jumping off the edge?_

_Never knowing if there's solid ground below_

_Or hand to hold or hell to pay_

_What do you say?_

_What do you say?_

I was falling. Falling so fast and landing so hard, my head spinning as I plunged into those bottomless blue eyes.

From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he was the one. There was a chemistry there from the start and we both knew it. But he was married. And I'd never had a real relationship before. Sure, I'd had a series of meaningless one-night stands after my mother died, trying to drown my sorrows – my _guilt _– for not being able to do anything about it. I liked to fix things and I couldn't fix her, and I couldn't deal with that.

I didn't trust easily, especially when it came to men. Maybe it was my mother's track record rubbing off on me, but after the long line of disgusting boyfriends she brought home, who would stay a day, a week if she was lucky, before realizing they couldn't handle her and running off. And then she would blame me for their departure, taking her sorrows out on me with her fists. And when I was too broken to fight back, she would drink herself into a stupor, leaving me to pick up the pieces. So needless to say, intimacy brought back memories that I would just as soon forget.

When he told me Kathy had left him, the first thing that flashed through my mind was relief, and then hope. And then guilt, because I knew how much his family meant to him and I was actually _happy _about his misfortune when I knew I shouldn't be. So I was there for him, as a sounding board, as a drinking companion at three in the morning when neither of us could sleep, sitting mutely beside him when he beat the crap out of a punching bag at the gym and bandaging his bruised knuckles when he finished. I was so close then, yet so far. I comforted him when all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him and confess my undying love. But of course, we weren't in a Hollywood movie and that was never going to happen. And unsurprisingly, they got back together a few months later. My heart broke in half when that happened, but I really couldn't blame Kathy. Who would want to be apart from such a wonderful man?

But it was the middle of the night. We'd just had a tough case and we were at a cop bar, drinking away the pain. It was anyone's guess whether my pain came from the little boy who'd been murdered by a serial killer or from the fact that Elliot was sitting mere inches away from me, but there would always be space between us.

But tonight could be different. Polishing off my third glass of liquid courage, I stared into his bottomless blue eyes. "Elliot," I whispered. "Stay with me tonight."

**Hmmm . . . is this better as a oneshot or should I continue? Did you like it? Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Since you all liked it so much, I decided to continue. Thanks for all the reviews!**

He stared at me, putting down his own glass. "You're drunk, Liv," he told me, placing a gentle hand on my arm to steady me.

The touch sent shivers rippling through my body. I wasn't sure if that was a rejection or just an unrelated statement, but I knew he was right. Still, I yanked my arm away. "No, I'm not," I insisted.

"Okay, you're not," he agreed, even though I knew he was just saying it to appease me. "But no more for you."

"Yes, _Mom_," I slurred, but obediently pushed away the glass.

Elliot signaled for the bartender to bring us the tab. "I'm taking you home," he told me.

I just looked at him, suddenly unsure whether or not he'd heard my original question. Had I only said it in my head? Or was he just evading it?

But honestly, I was too drunk to even protest as he shepherded me outside. I somehow managed to negotiate myself into the passenger seat of his car. I fumbled with my seatbelt for a few moments before giving up and looking pleadingly at Elliot, who was watching me, amusement evident in his baby blue eyes. He graciously moved my hands away and did up my seatbelt for me. I was too drunk to even be embarrassed.

He walked me up to my apartment and I flopped down on my couch, feeling a killer headache already starting to come on. "I'll get you some aspirin," offered Elliot. Without waiting for an answer, he disappeared to my medicine cabinet to locate the pills.

I lay my head down on the armrest and closed my eyes, content to let Elliot take charge. He knew his way around my apartment just as well as I did.

He emerged and handed me two capsules and a glass of water. "Here."

I took them without argument, then collapsed back onto the couch as Elliot put the glass in the kitchen. "Your apartment's a mess," he told me.

"Mmm," I mumbled, closing my eyes again.

Elliot furrowed his eyebrows in concern. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Uh uh," I replied, almost incoherently. I shook my head vigorously to emphasize my point, then begged, "Stay with me."

He obediently lowered himself onto the sofa, but it wasn't the same. He was only here because I was drunk, not because he felt anything for me. We were best friends and friends take care of friends. But nothing more.

I fell asleep on the couch and when I woke up in the morning, Elliot was gone.

I shouldn't have been surprised. Honestly, I didn't think I even _was_ surprised. Just sad. Because I knew that, much as I loved him, we could never be together.

**Review for chapter three!**


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